Cyber Security threats are no joke. Cyber terrorists show no sign of slowing down
Every government has to ensure that their data is secure and impenetrable.
Each day, Indonesia experiences more than 50,000 cyber attacks, says Mr Yono Reksoprodjo, an advisor to Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatn. Successful hacks could cost a banking organisation up to an estimated US$261 million a day.
Indonesia is the second most targeted country for cyber attacks, following Vietnam. The country is reported to be victim to 36.6 million cyber attacks in the past three years. These attacks are targeted at both the public and private sector.
Mr Reksoprodjo said, “Most of the [cyber] attacks are defined as defacing, [this occurs when] attackers change the visual appearance of a site.”
Looking closer at the cyber threat landscape in Indonesia:
- Indonesia was attacked 3.9 million times in cyberspace from the years 2010-2013
- From January 2012 until October 2012, the most attack websites were Government websites with the domain “go.id”
- Indonesia overtook China as the number one source of cyber-attacks in the second quarter of 2013
The Indonesian Government created the National Cyber Security Agency (BCN) at a time that it is most needed. Prompted by President Joko Widodo’s plans to form BCN, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs held a two day session in June to discuss the structure and responsibilities of the agency.
The main task for the agency will be to prevent cyber attacks. Yet, in the wake of an attack, it will be responsible for proceeding with an urgent strategy. The agency will work towards strengthening its defense against cyber threats and attackers. It will also work to increase public awareness about the cyber security landscape.
As the Central Bureau of Statistics reports, Indonesia has the sixth most Internet users (over 80 million) in the globe. Protecting these users and their information is crucial for the country’s national security plan. The launch of the National Cyber Security Agency marks a great milestone in the Government’s fight against cyber terrorism.